Who We Love
by Sandman Sam
Summary: Kurt's finally got the leading role he's always wanted. And he can't complain about his love interest. Eventual Klaine. Cross Dressing. Rise to Fame kind of story. I made it a one shot because I'm terrible with chapters. Enjoy!


Kurt walked into the theatre, looking at the stage. It was one of his favorite off-Broadway stages, sitting low enough for intimate moments with the audience. The seating wrapped three-fourths of the way around the stage, with only four feet between the lip of the stage and the first row. He'd come here to watch a few productions, never leaving disappointed. He'd arrived a little early, enjoying the quiet.

"Mr. Hummel?" A woman stepped out of the backstage area.

"Yes?" He turned to her.

"Hi, I'm Mia Newman. I'm going to be your make up mistress." She smiled.

"Oh, fantastic. Hi." Kurt walked over, shaking her hand. "Please, call me Kurt."

"Okay." She nodded. "If you have time after your meeting with the director I'd like to go over colors and see what works best with your face."

"I can stick around for that." Kurt nodded.

"You have really pretty eyes. I think we'll do our best to highlight those." Mia smiled.

"Okay." Kurt said.

"Kurt?" A voice caught his attention.

He turned, brightening as he saw who was coming down the aisle.

"Blaine." He smiled, opening his arms for a hug.

Blaine grinned, hugging him tightly.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked.

"Well, it turns out my uncle is friend's with the director, and when the director mentioned the play my uncle agreed to fly me out for the chance to audition and I did, and I got the part of Marc." Blaine said. "What about you?"

"I'm Carter." Kurt said.

"No way." Blaine beamed. "Really?"

"Really." Kurt laughed.

"That's great. Congratulations." Blaine said.

"Thank you. To you as well." Kurt said. "Blaine meet Mia Newman, she's going to be the make up magician who makes me into Carter."

"Pleasure to meet you." Blaine shook her hand. "I'm Blaine Anderson."

"Nice to meet you." She said. "Your make up and hair person will be Johnny. He's in the back setting up our stations and figuring out the best way to have things stored."

"Great. I look forward to meeting him." Blaine nodded.

"Well, I should get back there and help. I'll find you later, Kurt." Mia said, leaving with a wave.

"So how do your parents feel about you going to New York to be an actor the summer right after high school?" Kurt asked.

"They were a little shocked, but they're proud of me for getting the part." Blaine said. "Did you tell your family yet?"

"I've told them I got a role, but I haven't told them much else. I think I didn't want to jinx myself." Kurt laughed.

"I guess it relieves some of the worry, knowing each other." Blaine said.

"As long as it means you're okay with making out with me eight times a week." Kurt joked.

"I think I'll survive it." Blaine chuckled.

"You're both here, good." A man came down the aisle. "I'm Max Oswald, the director."

"Nice to meet you." Kurt shook his hand.

"Charmed." Blaine shook his hand.

"So you're my Marc and Carter?" Max grinned. "I'm pretty excited about this project."

"We're excited to be a part of it." Blaine said, Kurt nodding.

"Wonderful. Basically, I just wanted to meet with you two today and get a feel for you, and let you get a feel for me, and for each other, and just talk shop about character and such." Max said.

"Well, as it happens, we know each other." Kurt said.

"We competed in show choirs, in high school, and we became really good friends." Blaine said.

"Really? Wow, okay. And you don't mind being love interests, then?" Max asked.

"I could do worse." Kurt teased, looking at Blaine who winked.

"Great. That's a big relief for me." Max laughed. "Let's sit and talk about characters then."

They took a seat at a little table off to the side, Max setting down his messenger bag and smiling at them.

"Basically, the premise of the play you already know. Two coming of age teenagers finding love, and discovering what it really means to be brave. Marc, I picture him as a very down to earth kind of person, willing to talk to anyone, willing to open up to few. You dig?" Max looked at Blaine who nodded.

"Carter is the adventurous one when it comes to life, but love, not so much. Carter tries to identify as a girl because he feels he's not being accepted for who he really is, so he makes a more welcomed persona to hide behind. What brings the two of them together is a mix of proximity and the need to feel their not as alone as it seems sometimes."

Kurt and Blaine nodded, glancing at each other with a smile. They could relate.

After the meeting with Max Kurt found Mia and Johnny, agreeing to sit through color samples and testing. Blaine sat in a chair in the corner, watching the process with interest. He had a short conversation with Johnny, making introductions and talking hair and make up. Kurt had fair features already, so it was agreed that it would be more highlighting than it would be contouring. They measured his head from different angles, talking wigs. He would be wearing one when he was female Carter. After a while Mia cleaned off his face and released him for the time being. He gave her a quick hug and then left before she changed her mind, Blaine following after.

"Do you want to get coffee?" Blaine asked.

"Sure. I know a place a few blocks from here." Kurt smiled.

"There's something so alive about New York City. It makes Ohio feel like it's constantly asleep." Blaine mused, looking around.

"So where are you staying?" Kurt asked.

"A hotel a few streets down. I'm looking for an apartment though." Blaine admitted.

Kurt walked them into the After Actor's Hour Diner, snagging them a small booth. Rachel walked up, smiling.

"Hi, Kurt." She said.

"Rachel, you remember Blaine Anderson, from the Warblers." Kurt said.

"Just Blaine is fine now." Blaine laughed.

"Oh my gosh, yeah. Hi." Rachel smiled. "So you made it out to New York City."

"Better." Kurt said. "He's Marc."

"No." Rachel said.

"Yeah, we just came from meeting the director, and our make up and hair people." Kurt said.

"That's really great. Congratulations." Rachel said.

"Thank you." Blaine nodded.

"Can I get you two anything to drink?" She asked.

"Coffee, please." Kurt said. "For the both of us."

"Coming right up." She said, going over to the counter.

"Rachel looks really great. New York suits her. Are you both here together?" Blaine asked.

"We have an apartment loft together, not far from NYADA. I'm taking the summer off to do this show." Kurt said. "Normally that also means I'm a bus boy here."

"Classic actor in NYC kind of thing." Blaine smiled.

"Just us struggling artists sticking together." Kurt joked.

"Struggling?" Rachel smiled as she came back with two mugs of coffee.

"Oh you know, no fame is enough fame." Kurt winked.

"Now you sound like a cheesy 80s movie." Rachel laughed.

"Hey Rach, Blaine is looking for an apartment." Kurt said.

"Really?" Rachel asked. "We have the space if you want to come rent with us."

"I couldn't ask that much of you." Blaine asked.

"It wouldn't be much trouble, just putting up more curtains to section off a room for you." Rachel laughed. "Why don't you come by the loft and see if you like it?"

"It's not uncommon for actors to share apartments. It's convenient, and it means safer traveling to and from work." Kurt said.

"That's true. You'd have a person with you." Rachel nodded.

"Okay, I'll check it out." Blaine smiled.

"Do you guys want any food?" Rachel asked.

"Can we get a double order of nachos?" Blaine asked.

"Sure thing." Rachel said, walking away.

"We?" Kurt asked.

"They're celebratory nachos. I'm willing to share." Blaine smiled.

"Coffee and nachos." Kurt smirked.

"It's gonna be our thing. Just watch." Blaine said, making Kurt laugh.

Blaine was a dapper gentleman, paying for their nachos and coffee, saying it was his invitation and therefore his treat. He went with Kurt to the loft, nearly falling in love with the place on the spot. Kurt measure it out, finding the space for where the curtains could go for Blaine's room.

"Kurt, thank you." Blaine said. "For the loft, for agreeing to work with me. For spying on the Warblers three years ago and setting off a friendship I cherish greatly."

"Oh you'll get tired of me soon enough." Kurt smiled.

"That, I can promise, will never happen." Blaine said, smiling.

Three days later Blaine was moved in, and rehearsals were getting underway. Rachel came out of her room, wrapped in a robe. Kurt and Blaine were already up, coffee made.

"Good morning." Blaine said.

Rachel paused, a strange look on her face.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"I moved halfway across the country and I'm still just a Jewish girl living with two gay men." She said, making them laugh.

"I can't tell if that's ironic, or your subconscious is homesick." Kurt said.

"Both?" Blaine suggested.

"Both is good." Kurt shrugged.

"You two are terrible." Rachel said, walking to the bathroom.

"What are the odds though?" Blaine asked.

"It's Rachel Berry. I stopped calculating any odds that factor her ages ago." Kurt smiled.

Two weeks into rehearsals they had their first photo shoot for the show poster and fliers. Kurt relinquished himself to Mia who got to work on his make up. The costume they were using for the photos was one of Kurt's favorites. It was a light blue sun dress with a white chest high, buttoned up camisole. That would mean Blaine would be in his snug, navy blue button down, and black jeans. It was a good look on him.

Kurt had to admit to himself that he'd always been a little attracted to Blaine. Always found part of his heart wondering what it would be like to love a man like him. The play had been a blessing and a a challenge in that way. His old feelings were coming back to the surface, and they hadn't even gotten to the kissing scenes yet. Oh, brother.

Once his costume and make up were on it was time for the wig. It was chestnut colored wig, almost spot on to his actual hair, that stopped just passed his shoulders. The weight of it was odd, but he had to admit he looked rather pretty as a girl. It didn't look corny or obviously drag.

"This will be the first time Marc and Carter really meet, huh?" Mia asked, smiling proudly.

Kurt looked into the mirror. He hadn't thought about it.

"Yeah, I guess they will." Kurt smiled. "You're fantastic, Mia."

"I know." She winked. "Now let's go show you off."

Blaine was turned around when he stepped out onto the stage. Max looked up from his binder, a bright smile appearing on his face. Blaine noticed his attention and turned to look, looking surprised and happy. Kurt's short heels clicked as he walked over, smiling shyly.

"You look beautiful." Blaine smiled.

"Thank you." Kurt flushed lightly.

"You two look perfect." Max said.

"Are these my muses today, Max?" A photographer walked over, smiling.

"Yes, this is Blaine Anderson, who is playing Mac Anthony, and Kurt Hummel, who is playing Carter Lawrence." Max said. "This is Reggie Valentine. He'll be our photographer for different situations."

"Pleasure." Reggie shook their hands, the two nodding in agreement. "I'd like to have you do some standard poses, but I'd also like to just have some time to let you guys move around and see what happens."

The two nodded, moving to the stage. Reggie had them do some poses where they were in different stages of holding each other, or standing side by side. He then directed Blaine to stand behind Kurt, arms wrapped around him, looking straight at the camera while Kurt tilted his head to the side and down, eyes closed.

"Perfect. Perfect." Reggie said, snapping photos. "Let's see what happens when we just do what feels natural."

Kurt opened his eyes, turning slightly to look up at Blaine who smiled softly at him. There was the soft click of the camera. Kurt turned to face him, reaching up to touch Blaine's cheek. Blaine closed his eyes, leaning slightly into the touch. Another soft click. Kurt dropped his hand, moving so they were nose to nose, foreheads touching. Click.

Blaine smiled, opening his eyes and pulling Kurt into a slow dance. Kurt was about to tease that there wasn't any music when Blaine started humming, giving him a wink. Kurt laughed, head tilting back. Click.

"Those are great. Can we get some of those same shots without the wig?" Max asked.

They stopped dancing, and Kurt bent his knees to let Mia be able to take his wig off and fix his natural hair slightly. Once she seemed satisfied she took the wig over to the side. They recreated a few of their shots.

"Wonderful." Reggie said. "Are we doing any other costumes?"

"No, but I also want to do a few solo shots. Mia can you reapply the wig please." Max said.

Kurt went and sat beside her, letting her work her magic as Blaine posed for his solo photos. After his own photos he sat down next to Blaine, smiling.

"That was fun." He said.

"It was." Blaine smiled.

"This is my favorite costume." Kurt admitted, smoothing down the dress.

"You pull it off well." Blaine said, making Kurt laugh. "No, I mean it. You pull of both genders flawlessly. I guess it's true then."

"What?" Kurt asked.

"Beauty is universal." Blaine said.

Kurt blushed, smiling at his lap.

"Let's run through a couple scenes, since we have you both in costume and make up, and see how it feels, yeah?" Max suggested.

They nodded and stood.

_"Hi." Marc held out a hand. "My name is Marc."_

_ "Carter." He said, shaking his hand._

_ "Nice to meet you." Marc smiled._

_ "You just moved here, right?" Carter asked._

_ "Yeah. Next door." Marc nodded._

_ "So are you introducing yourself because you want to be friends or because you're hoping the boy next door stereotype might apply here." Carter teased, smiling softly._

_ Marc laughed, eyes crinkling as he smiled brightly._

_ "I think friends could be a good place to be." Marc said. "If you'll have me."_

_ "Sure." Carter said. "Why not?"_

_ There was the sound of a door slamming and Carter burst onto the stage in tears, tearing off the wig and tossing it onto the dresser. There were footsteps and Marc appeared._

_ "Carter." He said softly. "What happened?"_

_ "Don't look at me." Carter said, turning away, choking back a sob._

_ "Carter." Marc walked over, touching his shoulder. "It's okay."_

_ Carter turned around, launching himself in Marc's arms, crying into his shoulder. Marc held him without question, murmuring soothing things as he ran a hand up and down Carter's back._

_ "Stay." Carter said, pulling back._

_ "I've never left." Marc said._

_ Carter grabbed Marc by the shirt, pulling him into a passionate kiss. Marc returned the kiss equally, holding tightly onto Carter's waist._

"That was great." Max said, clapping.

Kurt and Blaine pulled apart, smiling sheepishly. Kurt wiped the tears off his face.

"It felt great, it looked great. Very moving. Kurt, I like the tears. Very believable." Max said.

"Thank you." Kurt said.

"The kiss was perfect. Keep it like that." Max said.

"I may need to take up cigarettes if I'm getting kissed like that eight times a week." Kurt joked, making Blaine laugh.

"You can both change out for the day. I'm going to run through some of the other scenes with the other actors. Be here tomorrow for at least four run through's." Max said.

"Yes, sir." Blaine said, Kurt nodding.

They went to the diner after that, sitting at the counter, visiting Rachel and a few of the other servers they'd come to know. Blaine saw a guitar sitting on the stage and looked at Rachel.

"Can anyone use it?" He asked.

"Sure. A guy donated it to the diner." Rachel said.

Blaine walked over and grabbed the guitar, sitting on the edge of the stage as he tuned it slightly and then started strumming.

"Saying I love you, is not the words I want to hear from you. It's not that I want you not to say, but if you only knew how easy it would be to show me how you feel." Blaine sang.

"More than words is all you have to do to make it real." Kurt sang with him, Blaine smiled, nodding. "Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me. Cause I'd already know."

"What would you do it my heart was torn in two?" Kurt sang.

"More than words to show you feel, that your love for me is real." They chorused.

"What would you say if I took those words away?" Kurt sang walking over to the stage and sitting next to him.

"Then you couldn't make things new. Just by saying I love you." They sang. "More than words."

"Now that I've tried to-" Blaine sang.

"-talk to you and make you understand." They sang.

"All you have to do-" Blaine sang.

"-is close your eyes, and just reach out your hand and touch me. Hold me close, don't ever let me go." They sang. "More than words is all I ever needed to show, then you wouldn't have to say that you love me. Cause I already know."

"What would you do if my heart was torn in two?" Kurt sang.

"More than words to show you feel, that your love for me is real." Blaine sang.

"What would you say if I took those words away? Kurt sang.

"Then you couldn't make things new, just by saying I love you." The chorused. "More than words."

They smiled at the applause, giving small waves.

"Too bad Who We Love isn't a musical." Blaine grinned.

"Don't give Max any ideas." Kurt laughed.

Blaine started strumming again.

"Give me more loving than I've ever had. Make it all better when I'm feeling sad. Tell me I'm special even when I know I'm now. Make it feel good when it hurts so bad. Barely get mad. I'm so glad I found you. I love being around you. You make it easy." Blaine sang, Kurt harmonizing with him.

"It's easy as 1-2-1-2-3-4. There's only one thing, two do, three words, four you...I love you. There's only one way, two say, those three words, and that's what I'll do...I love you."

"Give me more loving from the very start. Piece me back together when I fall apart. Tell me things you never even tell your closest friends. Make it feel good when it hurts so bad. The best that I've had, and I'm so glad I found you. I love being around you. You make it easy." Kurt sang.

"It's as easy as 1-2-1-2-3-4. There's only one thing, two do, three words, four you...I love you. There's only one way, to say, those three words, that's what I'll do...I love you. I love you."

"You make it easy, it's as easy as 1-2-1-2-3-4. There's only one thing, two do, three words, four you...I love you. There's only one way, two say, those three words, and that's what I'll do...I love you. I love you. 1-2-3-4. I love you. I love you." The chorused.

"Are you trying to find a song I don't know?" Kurt teased.

"Never." Blaine smiled.

Two months of rehearsals lead into previews, meaning their first live audiences. Kurt felt a thrill at the idea of it. He and Blaine had developed their characters, and how they worked together, incredibly well. The whole cast was really clicking well. It made him excited rather than nervous. Living with Blaine and Rachel had turned out to be one of Kurt's favorite parts. The three of them established their routines, even came up with their own little traditions. It made Kurt smile to start singing, and have one or both of them sing along, or vice versa.

They'd spent June and July rehearsing, and now at the beginning of August they would do their previews. It it all worked out, they would spend two months in New York City, and five months touring the United States. Eight shows a week, for twenty weeks. Max had asked the cast if there were any specific cities they really wanted to hit, and he would consider them. Kurt had been quick to ask if they could go to Columbus. With both the lead actors from Ohio, Max was willing enough to look into it.

_"Are you wearing all of that because it makes you happy or because you're hiding?" Marc asked._

_ "What does it matter?" Carter asked._

_ "It matters," Marc walked closer. "Because you're beautiful. As both Carters. And I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything to be appreciated."_

_ "You might accept me in these four walls, but out there everyone sees a freak, with a high pitched voice, who likes boys. If I at least look like a girl, people don't hate me." Carter said._

_ "They don't hate you. They're just afraid of what they can't understand. They're ignorant, Carter." Marc said._

_ "You said you were okay with how I dressed." Carter said._

_ "I am, I just want to make sure it's for the right reasons." Marc said._

_ "Why?" Carter asked. "Why does it matter?"_

_ "Because I love you, Carter." Marc burst._

_ They stared at each other for a moment._

_ "You can't love me." Carter said, folding his arms._

_ "What?" Marc looked confused._

_ "You can't love me." Carter repeated._

_"I can't love you? Why? Because I'm me, or because you're you?" Marc asked._

_ "What does that mean?" Carter tensed._

_ "I am in love with you, but you won't let me love you. You keep me at arms length, unless it's to kiss me, and even then you always pull away." Marc said._

_ "Coming from the boy who keeps secrets." Carter shot back._

_"I keep secrets because no one has bothered asking me what they were, so I grew up thinking that's just how it was supposed to be. It wasn't until I met you that I started realizing maybe that's not how people are. That I could be different. That I could change." Marc said angrily. "And that I could become someone worthy of loving someone as special as you."_

_ "I'm not special." Carter shook his head._

_Marc stepped forward, cupping Carter's face, looking at him in a mix of frustration and desperation._

_"I will never have enough words, or enough languages to say how special you are, Carter Lawrence. You are beautiful. And I don't just mean with the make up, or the wigs, or the dresses. You, Carter, the person underneath all of that. You are so incredibly beautiful. You have to learn to believe that, you have to." He said._

_ Carter was silent, watching Marc as they stood there. Slowly Marc's hands drop back to his side and he steps back. With nothing left to say he steps forward, kissing Carter on the cheek, and then leaves. Carter turns to the standing mirror in the corner, looking at himself._

_ Without a word, he gently removes the wig, setting it on the dresser. He takes off his necklace and earrings next. Then, he slides off his sandals. Running a hand through his hair, he fixes it back to his boy style. He unbuttons his camisole, slipping it off and letting it fall to the floor. He grabs the thin straps of the sundress and pulls them down, the dress falling the floor. Standing only in his boxers, he looks at himself in the mirror._

_ "I'm beautiful." He says softly._

_ The lights go down._

That scene always makes him tear up as the lights go down and he goes backstage, a tech sneaking on and taking away his clothes and accessories. Blaine is waiting backstage with his next costume, a pair of white jeans and a black button down. They share a brief hug after that scene every time. It's emotional for both of them.

They have a standing ovation when they take their ending bows. From their first preview Who We Love is called a promising production with a bright future. When the previews are over and they open for the people of New York City Kurt is beaming with pride. It's been a fantastic three months, and they have as many as eight more to go.

After their first opening performance the cast went out to a bar, celebrating. Blaine and Kurt opted for no alcohol, even though the older cast members offered to buy. Blaine did take his drink and stand, asking for everyone's attention.

"A toast. To the first of many great nights. To a great cast. And to the best love interest a hopeless romantic like myself can ask for." Blaine said, earning laughs. "To Who We Love."

"To Who We Love." the cast cheered, taking a drink.

Blaine sat back down, and Kurt linked arms with him, smiling.

"You're such a dork." Kurt said endearingly.

"You love it." Blaine winked.

"Kurt, Blaine, I'm glad I caught you." Max said, stepping into the make up room where Kurt was being worked on by Mia.

"What's up?" Blaine asked.

"After the show tonight you've got an interview to go to." Max said.

"Where?" Blaine asked.

"The Tonight Show." Max grinned.

"Like Jimmy Fallon, the Tonight Show?" Kurt asked.

"No moving." Mia instructed, Kurt obeying.

"That's the one. He's doing a live show, and you two are his special guests for the evening." Max said.

"Wow, that's crazy." Blaine said. "But, I mean, awesome."

"Good to hear. There's going to be a car picking you up as soon as you get done with last bows and change clothes. Marcy will have something laid out for you." Max said.

"Okay." Blaine said.

"I'm so happy to be in New York, I really am." Jimmy said, the audience clapping. "I loved being on SNL, but more than that I love going to see Broadway and off-Broadway shows. It's one of my favorites. Just a few weeks ago a show opened to the public, and it's stealing everybody's hearts. It's called Who We Love."

There was a round of applause, and Jimmy nodded.

"It's a great show. It's playing in New York, and then they'll be touring nationally in a month or so. They had a show earlier today, but they were so kind to make time to come to our live show tonight, so please help me welcome the two leading stars of Who We Love, Kurt Hummel, and Blaine Anderson." Jimmy said, cheers erupting.

Kurt stepped out in white skinny jeans, a white and silver long graphic t-shirt, and silver vest. Blaine stepped out in red skinny jeans, a black button down, and a white bow tie. They waved at the audience and walked over to the desk, shaking Jimmy's hand. He gestured to the seats. Kurt took the chair, and Blaine sat beside him on the couch.

"Welcome, welcome." Jimmy said. "So happy to have you here."

"It's good to be here." Blaine smiled.

"And you guys literally just came from the theatre, right?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah. We actually didn't even know about this until earlier today. Max, our director, came in while I was halfway through make up and he's like, 'Hey, you've got an interview after the show on the tonight show.'" Kurt said, the audience laughing. "And Mia, my make up person, is scolding me because I'm like sitting up like a kid at Christmas like, 'The Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show?'"

"He was pretty excited." Blaine laughed.

"Oh, well thank you. I've seen the show, and I just think it's great. A really powerful but fun message, I think." Jimmy said.

"Thank you." Blaine and Kurt smiled.

"We enjoy it." Blaine said.

"Now, Kurt, you play Carter Lawrence. Can we get a picture of Carter?" Jimmy asked.

On the monitors Kurt's face popped up in full make up, dress, and wig. There was an applause. Kurt flushed, laughing. It jumped to a photo from their photo shoot of Kurt and Blaine in an embrace, looking at each other. And then a solo shot of Blaine as Marc came up.

"And Blaine, you play Marc Anthony." Jimmy said, "Not to be confused with the historical figure."

"No." Blaine laughed. "There's actually a funny line in the show, where Marc gets kind of ribbed for it, and he's just like 'Yeah, yeah, my parents were so original. My sister's name is Cleo.'"

The audience laughed, and Blaine nodded.

"And what is it like, playing love interests with each other? Is it easier than you thought?" Jimmy asked.

"Um, easier, I think. But it helped that we've been good friends with each other for a couple years before this show came up. What is funny about it is we'll be in rehearsals, and then production, and there is quite a bit of kissing. So we'll essentially make out all day, and then go home and our other roommate, Rachel, is just like, 'So, how was work?'" Kurt said.

"So you live together?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah, he came out for the show, right out of school, and I had already been up here, attending NYADA. So it was just like, 'You need a place? I have a place. We're going to be making out eight times a week, the least I can do is offer you a place to sleep.'" Kurt said.

"No, right." Jimmy laughed. "The whole cast seems to work really well together."

"We do." Blaine nodded. "I think we've been very fortunate in that sense. The West twins, Chandler Iseman, Louise Brennan, Chelsea Bay, and Jane Pickett. All of them are incredibly talented, and supportive, and I think everyone really understands the play. That fundamental idea that Who We Love tries to get across, which is it doesn't matter who you love, but also love yourself, no matter how weird or different you are."

"And that maybe what's weird and different about you can be the very things that you're loved for." Kurt nodded.

"Which is a great message." Jimmy said. "I think it's great that pieces like this are starting to be produced more and more."

"Definitely." Blaine agreed.

"Now, you guys are going to go on tour, should the popularity keep up. Are you excited for that?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah. I think so." Kurt nodded. "We're planning on spending five months traveling, doing eight shows a week, in twenty cities. Blaine and I are both from Ohio, so I think it's going to be interesting when we stop in Columbus."

"I've already warned my dad." Blaine laughed. "I told him I get kind of nude, and Kurt gets kind of nude, not necessarily at the same time, but yeah. If he comes he'll see body parts he hasn't seen since I was like six."

The audience laughed.

"Are your parents excited to see the show?" Jimmy asked.

"I think they're excited that I'm working." Kurt said, earning laughs. "And that the show has a great message. Whether or not my dad wants to see me in my boxers groping another man, well, that's something I'll leave unanswered."

"Totally understandable." Jimmy laughed. "I have a bit of a surprise for you. An hour before the show started I tweeted that two stars from Who We Love were coming on the show and I asked for some questions to ask you, if you want to answer some of them."

"Sure." Kurt said.

"I'd love to." Blaine said.

"Okay." Jimmy pulled out his phone, pulling up twitter. "Here's on, Kitty Kat to the Max asks, 'What is it like kissing each other on the show?'"

"Magical." Blaine grinned, earning cheers. "No, it's fun. Kurt's a pretty fine kisser. I mean, Carter, ahem."

"I always joke when people ask me that, and I tell them I could do worse than Blaine." Kurt said, earning laughs. "But no, he's good. Ten out of ten score."

"Yes." Blaine fist pumped.

"L to the B to the Watt asks, 'If you could switch characters for one show, who would you switch with?'" Jimmy said.

"Ooh, that's a good one." Kurt said.

"I don't think I'd be able to pull off the dresses and long hair, so I'd probably switch with one of the twins, and be a Granger." Blaine said.

"I think I'd be Lisa, because she gets some of the funniest cussing phrases I think I've ever heard." Kurt said.

"She has some sharp lines." Blaine said. "What's funny is Jane, who plays Lisa, told me she based the biggest characteristics of Lisa on her own mother. I kid you not."

"That makes a lot of sense. Did you meet Jane's mom when she came opening night?" Kurt asked.

"No." Blaine shook his head.

"Oh, she had my mascara running. Which is not a sentence I ever thought I'd say." Kurt said.

The audience laughed.

"Hemmy Boy 2-1-1 asks, 'Is it weird being in girl clothes and then boy clothes and back and forth?'" Jimmy said.

"I think that ones for you." Blaine said.

"Yeah." Kurt laughed. "Um, I don't know. At first, the dresses were a little drafty, but once I got used to them, it's just like wearing anything else. Boy clothes, girl clothes, it's been almost four months, I'm desensitized to it."

"I think the wig was the hardest part for you to get used to." Blaine said.

"It was." Kurt nodded. "The weight was weird. And I'd move my head, and in my peripheral was just all this hair. I didn't know where to go with it, and heaven forbid a gust came by."

The audience laughed, a few of the girls clapped.

"Ladies, I understand now. Up-do is a girls best friend." Kurt said.

"You actually look really believable as a girl, I almost forgot for a second that Carter was a boy, until you took off the wig and it was like, 'oh, right.'" Jimmy said.

"That's how we wanted it to feel." Kurt nodded. "Because, the dresses and everything aren't just dressing in drag for Carter, they're like a shield, a camouflage, if you will. And the art of good camouflage is being able to blend in, and be mistaken for that which you're not."

"So Carter doesn't identify as a girl, so much as he's hiding?" Jimmy asked.

"Not as a girl, but as effeminate, for sure. Which is why it doesn't upset him to be in the disguise of a girl. Because to him, where he is on the spectrum of things, he feels more identified with a girl than a tough, masculine man. Like, if we were putting it on a scale of one to ten, one being boyish and ten being a girl, he's like a seven." Kurt said.

"Do you identify with Carter, because of your voice?" Jimmy asked.

"I've never had the urge to be a woman, no, but-" Kurt laughed. "I can understand him and his reasoning really well. To not be judged or bullied because of how you sound, or look, or who you love."

"So, if you don't mind answering, are you gay?" Jimmy asked.

"I am." Kurt said.

"And I am." Blaine nodded.

"Right on." Jimmy said, nodding as the crowd cheered.

"And I can't even blame Kurt's magical kisses." Blaine sighed, making Kurt laugh.

"No, you were definitely gay before I met you." Kurt said. "I think how we met kind of solidified that."

"Can you tell us about it?" Jimmy asked.

"Do you want to or should I?" Blaine asked.

"I can tell part of it." Kurt offered. "Okay, so we met sort of second hand through show choir. I was a part of a group called the New Directions, and he was in the Warblers. We were at a competition, and some of us went to the mall."

Blaine hid his face behind his hand, making the audience laugh.

"He's hiding because the next part is adorable. He had a crush on one of the Gap employees. So he convinced his whole glee club to sing to this guy while he was at work." Kurt said. "No joke, he sang When I Get You Alone."

The audience cheered. Blaine waved it off, blushing slightly.

"He was incredible, but like the guy was having none of it, so I convinced my glee club to perform one of the songs I knew we all knew, which was If I Can't Have You, and sang to make it look like were competing with the Warblers." Kurt said.

"When I realized what had happened, I just kind of rolled with it, and left with at least a little bit of my dignity in tact." Blaine said. "I still don't shop at the Gap, though."

"That's not a loss for you in any way." Kurt said, earning laughs.

"Kurt's got the designer tastes." Blaine said.

"And the college kid budget." Kurt nodded.

"And still he looks fantastic." Blaine grinned.

"Aw, that's sweet. I've trained him well, haven't I?" Kurt asked, making Jimmy laugh.

"For sure." Jimmy said. "Um, another question, 'Hallo Haley asks, 'If you could kiss another cast member, who would it be?'"

"Ooh, another cast member." Blaine hummed.

"I can't be my own choice, can I?" Kurt asked, smirking.

"I think...I'd probably kiss Chandler." Blaine said. "I feel like he wouldn't be a bad kisser."

"Chandler is good." Kurt nodded. "I mean choice. I haven't kissed him."

The audience laughed.

"Well, we know what's going to be in the tabloids tomorrow now, don't we?" Blaine joked.

"I don't know who I'd pick. The West twins are cool, but they're so hyper, I feel like that would reflect in their kissing styles. I'm putting a lot of thought into this, I know." Kurt said, earning laughs. "But, yeah, Chandler is a good choice. If it had to be a girl though, I'd pick Chelsea."

"Chelsea is a sweetheart. She's probably a good kisser." Blaine nodded.

"They're never going to let us live this down." Kurt laughed.

"Never." Blaine chuckled, shaking his head.

"Are there any celebrity actors you would like to share an onstage kiss with?" Steve asked.

"Oh. Neil Patrick Harris." Kurt said.

The audience and Jimmy laughed.

"I think I would go with Daniel Radcliffe." Blaine said.

Kurt nodded appreciatively.

"Will you guys answer literally any question?" Jimmy asked.

"To a degree, I think we're both really open to talking about a lot of things." Kurt said.

"Just be careful, Jimmy. Just because we're willing to answer, doesn't mean you'll be comfortable with the answer." Blaine smirked.

"Duly noted." Jimmy laughed. "Okay, Kiwi 4-3-2 asks, 'If your costar wasn't an actor, what do you think they'd be?'"

"Oh, we guess for the other." Kurt said.

"Kurt would be a famous burlesque dancer." Blaine said, making Kurt laugh.

"Can you dance burlesque?" Jimmy asked.

"I can." Kurt chuckled. "I learned a dance routine for a friend's eighteenth birthday."

"What would I be?" Blaine asked.

"I think you would be a music teacher." Kurt said. "Maybe dabble with composing silly songs. Whatever you did, it would have music in it. You could be a pilot, and it would end up being like a singing pilot."

"A burlesque dancer and a singing pilot?" Jimmy asked, grinning.

"Sounds like a bad vaudeville routine, doesn't it?" Kurt said.

"I could pilot private jets, and you could perform on them. We'll call it Burlesque at Fifty Thousand Feet." Blaine said, making Kurt laugh.

"There you have it. If acting doesn't work out, we're buying a plane and performing burlesque for the passengers." Kurt giggled.

"You heard it here first." Jimmy joked.

"Eat your heart out Southwest." Blaine said, grinning.

"This has been great. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to come out and hang out with us. I'd love to have you back some time." Jimmy said.

"Totally." Kurt and Blaine echoed.

The audience laughed.

"It's the product of having spent too much time around each other, ignore it." Kurt waved it off, Blaine laughing.

"Who We Love will be at the Rose and Cap theatre for the next four weeks. If you haven't had the chance you should go see it. Take your visiting relatives, give them the real New York experience." Jimmy winked.

"Thanks, Jimmy. Excellent endorsement." Kurt chuckled.

"Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson everybody." Jimmy said. "We'll be right back, after a quick break."

Kurt and Blaine waved at the camera while the audience cheered.

_Marc sat on the rooftop, looking up at the sky. Carter walks up, kneeling behind him._

_ "If you believe I'm beautiful. It's enough to convince me." He says, wrapping an arm around Marc._

_ Marc reaches up, caressing Carter's arm, closing his eyes as he leans against him._

_ "I love you too." Carter says._

_ Marc opens his eyes, sitting straighter to turn around,_

_ "Say that again."_

_ "I love you too." Carter says._

_ Marc pulls him into a passionate kiss. Carter breaks apart just enough to pull Marc's shirt off. Marc's hands quickly unbutton Carter's shirt. As it slides off he kisses the newly revealed skin. Carter tilts his head back, eyes closed, relishing in the feel._

_ "I love you. I love you. I love you." He chants._

_ Marc pulls back, cupping Carter's face. He smiles softly, pulling him into a slower, more emotional kiss. It says everything it needs to. I love you. I love you. I love you. Slowly Carter's hands move to the top of Marc's pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them._

_ "I want you." Carter says, breaking their kiss._

_ "Always." Marc says._

_ "Always."_

_ The lights go down._

Late November Blaine and Kurt packed their bags for the tour. Santana subleased their space, agreeing to stay with Rachel during the five months that they would be away. It was a relief, knowing they wouldn't be leaving Rachel all by herself. Even if it was Rachel Berry. They all flew back to Ohio for Thanksgiving. Kurt and Blaine would be in Charleston on Christmas, but they'd be in Columbus during New Year's.

The first stop of the tour was Boston. Kurt and Blaine celebrated their opening night with coffee and nachos. The city welcomed them fairly warmly. Kurt suspected most of the East Coast that they went to would be. It was the more mid-west states he was worried about.

The next stops were Providence, and Harrisburg. Kurt and Blaine shared a hotel room, already accustomed to living together. Kurt had been curious as to whether or not all of the cast would want to kill each other by Harrisburg because they were constantly around each other. With a little luck and gratitude, it seemed to bring them all closer. They still ribbed the two about their interview with Jimmy Fallon. The West twins winked and offered to show Kurt their kissing skills, but Kurt just laughed it off. He felt like it would be like kissing his brothers.

"Christmas in Charleston is beautiful." Kurt sighed, looking at the lights strung up all around the town as he and Blaine walked the short distance between their hotel and the theatre.

"It really is." Blaine smiled. "Speaking of Christmas, I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Kurt asked.

"Mhmm." Blaine nodded, pulling out a small velvet box.

Kurt accepted it, opening it curiously. It was a gold and silver Grecian style thumb ring, with small diamonds wherever the silver snaked.

"It's beautiful." Kurt said.

Without thinking he closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck as they kissed. Blaine returned the kiss, arms wrapping around Kurt's waist. It was long, and slow, and breathtakingly sweet.

"Please tell me that was a real kiss." Blaine said when it ended, neither letting go of the other.

"If by real you mean it was Kurt and Blaine, then yes." Kurt said, looking into his eyes.

Blaine gave a soft smile.

"Good." He said.

"Yeah?" Kurt asked, a smile forming on his lips.

"Yeah." Blaine said, kissing him again.

They stepped apart when the kiss ended, and Kurt slipped the ring onto his left thumb, admiring it.

"Thank you." Kurt said.

"I think your Christmas present was better." Blaine said.

"Mine?" Kurt asked.

"My present this year is you." Blaine looked him in the eye.

"Yeah." Kurt grinned, leaning into him as Blaine wrapped an arm around him.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah?" Kurt looked over to him.

"Will you be my Christmas present every year?" Blaine asked, smiling.

"And Valentine, and Birthday present, and all of those in between." Kurt smiled.

"Happy New Years." Carole hugged him warmly after he answered the door to their hotel room.

"You made it!" Kurt said happily.

"Not just me." Carole said. "Come downstairs. Both of you."

Blaine and Kurt followed obediently. When they arrived in the lobby Kurt burst out laughing. Burt, Finn, Rachel, Tina, Mercedes, Artie, Santana, and Britney all stood in a group waiting for them. Kurt ran ahead, hugging his dad tightly first, and then everyone else one by one.

"Oh my god, what is this?" Kurt asked.

"Your belated Christmas present." Burt said.

"We're all going to see the show and support you!" Rachel grinned. "Even though I've seen it before."

"Thanks, Rach." Kurt smiled.

"We didn't forget about Blaine either." Santana said.

"What?" Blaine asked.

"She means turn around." A voice caught their attention.

Kurt and Blaine turned around to see six boys grinning at them. Blaine must have recognized them because he burst out laughing, hugging them happily.

"Kurt, I want you to meet some of the craziest, most loyal friends you can ever be cursed with. This is Wes, David, Thad, Holden, Nick, and Jeff. They're all former Warblers." Blaine said.

"Nice to meet you formally." Kurt smiled, shaking their hands.

"It's our pleasure." Wes smiled.

"Kurt are you wearing a thumb ring?" Mercedes interjected.

Kurt looked at his hands, then Mercedes, then Blaine, and then at the two groups.

"Right. More surprises then. Blaine and I are dating." Kurt said.

They were swamped with more hugs, hugs of congratulations.

"Are you sure it's not from all the heavy kisses from stage?" Santana teased.

"No. Long before that." Kurt laughed.

"Since Blackbird." Blaine said.

"Wait, are you saying you've liked me since Blackbird and you didn't say anything?" Kurt turned to look at him.

"It always seemed like bad timing. But trust me, I wanted to." Blaine said.

"Well, regardless, we're happy for you." Rachel said.

"Thanks, Rach." Kurt smiled.

"So are we keeping that info incognito for now?" Santana asked.

"Yeah, a little." Kurt said.

"We don't want people to think it's just a publicity stunt. We want to be able to reveal it where we can explain it." Blaine said.

"On our terms." Kurt smiled, Blaine nodding.

"We should call Max. He'll reserve some good seats." Blaine said. "It'll be our present to them."

Kurt pulled out his phone, speed dialing Max as he mentally counted the number of people.

"Hey, Kurt. What's up?" Max asked.

"Hey, Max. Blaine and I need some seats reserved for family and basically family." Kurt said.

"Sure thing. How many?" Max asked.

"Fifteen." Kurt said.

"Fifteen?" Max laughed. "Um, okay. I kind of expected this, finally being in Ohio, but fifteen?"

"Yeah." Kurt laughed. "What can I say? We're loved."

"That I don't doubt. Alright. Fifteen of the best seats in the house." Max said.

"Thanks, Max. I appreciate that." Kurt said.

"Consider it my thanks for the excellent performances you and Blaine have given." Max said.

"Can do. Bye." Kurt said.

"Bye." Max said, hanging up.

"We got the seats." Kurt said.

"Awesome." Blaine smiled.

"Now I just have to warn Santana not to wolf whistle, or heckle us or the other actors." Kurt looked at Santana who held her hands up.

"I solemnly swear to behave myself during the production. Before and mostly after, I make no promises." She said.

"I'll take it." Kurt smiled.

_"Donny, I think you should leave." Carter folded his arms._

_ "Little sister and I aren't quarreling. No need to play knight in pleated armor." Donny slurred._

_ "Get out of my house." Carter commanded._

_ "Why so you can prance around in skirts and pretend you don't have a dick?" Donny asked._

_ Carter slapped Donny across the face. In reaction, Donny grabbed him, shaking him._

_ "Fucker." He punches him, dropping him to the ground._

_ "Donny!" Kate screams._

_ Donny looks up blinking, then down at Carter._

_ "Shit. Carter...I'm sorry. I didn't..." He stoops down, but Carter cringes away._

_ Marc bursts in, grabbing Donny and shoving him towards the door._

_ "Get out!" He yells. "Get out before I strangle you."_

_ Donny looks ready to say something but Kate pushes him out the door, closing it behind him and locking it. Marc kneels down beside Carter._

_ "Are you bleeding?" He asked._

_ "No. It just hurts." Carter said, holding his jaw._

_ "Kate, get some ice." Marc said._

_ "Okay." Kate unlocked the door, disappearing._

_ "Did you at least get a good hit in?" Marc teased._

_ "Kind of." Carter smiled gently._

_ "What am I going to do with you?" Marc sighed, sitting beside him._

_ "Keep me?" Carter suggested._

_ "Yeah, I could do that." Marc smiled._

_ "Donny didn't mean anything by it...he just drinks a little too much sometimes." Carter said._

_ "I'll check him into rehab myself." Marc said._

_ "You're a really good friend, Marc." Carter sighed._

_ "I told you it was a good place to be." Marc smiled._

_ "Yeah." Carter smiled._

_ Marc and Kate sat in chairs, backpacks at their feet._

_ "Carter. Hurry up, we're going to be late." Kate called._

_ The door opened and Carter stepped out in black jeans, and a white and grey t-shirt, no wig, no make up. Marc and Kate look at him without saying anything. Kate gives him a small encouraging smile, and nods. Marc stands, walking over to him._

_ "Beautiful." He says, kissing him softly._

_ "I know." Carter smiles, taking his hand. "Let's go."_

Kurt knew exactly where every one of his friends and family are by how loud they cheer and clap and yell his name.

"That's my son." Burt's voice boomed.

Kurt laughed, bowing low in his direction. He blew kisses into the crowd where he knows his girls are sitting.

"Shake that ass, Hummel." Santana whistled.

Kurt shook his head, smiling as he finishes his last bows and they exit the stage.

"You were fantastic!" Rachel pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thanks." He smiled,

"So I take it these are your fifteen." Max walked over.

"This is my dad, Burt, and stepmom Carole. My stepbrother Finn, Rachel, Tina, Mercedes, Artie, Santana, and Britney. We were in show choir together." Kurt said.

"This is Wes, David, Thad, Holden, Nick, and Jeff. All from my show choir." Blaine said, gesturing to his six.

"Welcome. I'm glad you could all make it." Max shook Burt's hand.

"This is Max Oswald, the director." Kurt said.

"It was a good show." Burt said.

"I'm pleased you enjoyed it." Max smiled.

"They're not biased at all." Kurt joked.

"I'll take the compliments all the same." Max laughed. "If you'll excuse me."

"Celebratory dinner time!" Nick and Jeff chorused.

"Should we call ahead and tell them they have a party of seventeen coming?" David asked.

"Already did." Wes smiled. "If you'll all caravan with us, we'll be treating everyone. No arguments."

They went to Denny's, taking up almost one whole section with the tables pushed together. Kurt laughed until he cried, talking and swapping stories with the girls, and the former Warblers. After all the important news had been shared it got quiet until Nick and Jeff instigated a round of singing. All the former show choir kids chimed in, feeling in better spirits now that they were all together and celebrating the new year together.

"It really was a fantastic show." Carole said, leaning over to Kurt. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." Kurt beamed.

Nick took Kurt's phone and walked to the end of the table, taking a group photo of everyone, and then a couple close ups. Kurt uploaded the group shot to his twitter with the caption: Ohio knows how to welcome a guy back and bring in the New Year. #DennysandSongs #BestStopEver

Kurt took a picture with his dad, tweeting it with the caption: Rocking with my number one fan. #GuessWhoCheeredTheLoudest #LoveHim. Burt smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Love you too, bud." He said.

Blaine got a couple photos with his old classmates, and a few with the girls and Finn and Artie. He tweeted some of them. Kurt relaxed in his seat, looking at everyone.

"Pretty good way to ring in a new year." Blaine said.

"One of the best." Kurt nodded.

Blaine's mother and brother Cooper were at the show the next day. Blaine hugged them both, Kurt taking a group photo of them for him. Cooper was warm and welcoming, congratulating them both on their successful show.

"Your father had a phone call he had to take just as last bow came on. I'm sure he thought you did wonderful." His mother said.

"Give him a hug for me." Blaine said.

Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist, giving him a comforting smile. Blaine kissed his temple, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"One more night in Ohio." He said.

"And then we trek on." Kurt smiled.

Kurt stood like normal after last bow, smiling politely and shaking hands, but his brain was on how soon he'd have to start packing once they got back to the hotel.

"You did really well." A voice startled him from his thoughts.

"Thank-" He paused, looking at David Karofsky in a suit and tie. "you."

"Babe, I'll get the car." A second voice drew his attention.

A handsome guy was looking at David who nodded.

"I'll be right there." He said.

"You came out." Kurt said.

"Yeah." David flushed, smiling embarrassed. "After I graduated, I moved to Columbus and met Keith. He's...he's been really good for me."

"Good." Kurt said.

"I wanted to apologize for everything I did. Your show was fantastic." David said.

"Water under the bridge." Kurt held out his hand. "I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"You too." David smiled, shaking his hand.

"David, right?" Blaine came over.

"Yeah. Congratulations on your performance, it was good." David said.

"Thank you." Blaine smiled politely.

"I should go. Keith and I have a dinner reservation." David said.

"Yeah. Of course. Thank you for coming." Kurt said.

"Break a leg." David said, heading off.

"Keith?" Blaine asked.

"Attractive." Kurt said.

Blaine smirked, quirking an eyebrow.

"What. He was very attractive. David said he's been really good for him." Kurt said.

"Good. I'm glad." Blaine said.

"I think Ohio has surprised me enough for one trip." Kurt said.

Blaine laughed, nodding.

"Let's go back to the hotel. I know you're itching to start packing." He said.

"You know me." Kurt smiled endearingly.

"I've lived with you for almost seven months, and I've been traveling with you for a month." Blaine chuckled.

Indianapolis. Chicago. Madison. St. Paul. Kurt was having fun being in places for only a week at a time. Between work and sleep, they only had so much time so they went and did the most promising things, seeing beautiful parts of cities they might not have thought to visit. Kurt definitely wasn't going to miss the traffic in Indianapolis.

They had two stops in Missouri, St. Louis and then Kansas City. Both had interesting adventures. The Fabulous Fox theatre might have carved a special place in Kurt's heart. Their last day in Kansas City fell on Valentine's Day. Blaine surprised Kurt with a dozen red roses. Kurt tweeted a picture of them with the caption: My Marc is such a sap.

The local Kansas City news did a short video interview with them, congratulating them on their success streak so far across the nation. It touched Kurt that people embraced the play so easily. There was some backlash, but not nearly enough to dampen Kurt's happiness.

They trekked on to Oklahoma City, and then Santa Fe, and Phoenix. The warmer weather was a bit of a relief on their mostly snowy tour. Mardi Gras in Las Vegas was something Kurt wanted and didn't want to remember for the rest of his life. Mia had scolded him for needing to use more concealer to hide his dark circles, but patted him affectionately on the shoulder. He was really growing to love that woman. She was like a strange motherly, big sister figure he wasn't used to. Most of the girls in the cast had become like that to him. He couldn't say he minded.

_"Do you love my son?" Lisa asked._

_ "Yes, ma'am." Carter said._

_ "Don't just agree because you think it's what I want to hear. Say what you mean." Lisa said, slamming her glass down onto the table between them._

_ "I love him." Carter said. "And he loves me. And that's more than I ever expected in this world, and I won't take that for granted for as long as I live."_

_ "You mean a lot to him." Lisa said._

_ Carter nodded._

_ "Don't take advantage of that." Lisa said._

_ They stood there, just looking at each other for a long moment._

_ "I couldn't if I wanted to." Carter said._

_ "I believe it." Lisa said, getting up to pour another drink._

They went northwest to Salem, Oregon. Then went south down California. Sacramento first, then Los Angeles. Max sprung a last minute surprise on Kurt and Blaine the Saturday morning they were there. He had them dress nicely and then drove them to a Warner Brother's Studio.

"Max." Kurt said in a very controlled voice. "What's going on?"

"Surprise. You're going on Ellen." Max beamed.

Kurt's jaw dropped, and Blaine laughed.

"You just like springing things on me to see how well I can handle it." Kurt said.

"It's fun surprising you." Max laughed.

"I have two guests coming on next. Since September they've lead a small cast of powerhouse actors from New York City, all the way here to Los Angeles. They're names are becoming known throughout the theatre world, and in households in dozens of major cities. Every where they've gone, their production has been a hit. Please welcome, the two leading actors from Who We Love, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson." Ellen introduced them, the audience clapping.

Kurt was dressed in dark purple skinny jeans, a white button down, and a grey skinny tie. Blaine was dressed in dark grey skinny jeans, a red button down, and black bow tie. They hugged Ellen as they came around the couch, kissing her cheek. The audience cheered loudly until they sat down, smiling and giving small waves.

"Hi, guys." Ellen smiled.

"Hi, Ellen." the grinned.

"Welcome. How's Los Angeles been treating you?" Ellen asked.

"Great." Blaine said.

"It's really warm, which is a nice change." Kurt said, chuckling. "We've had a lot of snow the passed couple months."

"Oh yeah, throughout the tour?" Ellen asked, the boys nodding. "I've got to ask, how old are the two of you?"

"I'm nineteen. I'll be twenty in four months." Kurt said.

"I'm eighteen. I'll be nineteen in three months." Blaine said.

"Nineteen and eighteen? You're serious?" Ellen asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah." the laughed.

"That's crazy, to have such a successful show at so young." Ellen said.

"Yeah, totally." Blaine said. "I had literally graduated high school in late May, and two weeks later I got the role of Marc."

"That's amazing." Ellen said. "And I've seen your interview with Jimmy, from September."

"Oh." Blaine laughed. "That could mean a lot of things."

"Well, you said you'd been friends for a couple years before the show came along." Ellen said.

"Yeah, we met my sophomore year in high school." Blaine said. "And we'd kept in touch, and competed against each other. And then when Kurt went to New York for NYADA we kind of didn't talk as much, except for occasionally on Facebook. We didn't know that the other had auditioned for this show until the first meeting with the director."

"That had to be wild then, finding out you would be in a show together." Ellen said.

"It was." Kurt nodded.

"Did you guys celebrate at all?" Ellen asked.

"We had coffee and nachos." Kurt laughed.

"It's become a habit now. When we celebrate an opening night on tour, or something like that, we get coffee and an order of nachos." Blaine said, earning a few awws and laughs.

"And then I invited him to come live with me." Kurt said.

"I was kind of living out of a hotel, my uncle had helped me out getting to New York, and I told Kurt I was looking for an apartment, and he and his roommate Rachel had space. Everything just kind of fell into place." Blaine said.

"We've definitely felt very lucky with this production." Kurt nodded. "Our cast are all loving, and supportive of each other. Despite being around each other all the time, we've all grown closer. And the people have accepted us so warmly. It's been a lot of positive things."

"That's great. And I've heard from Twitter that you had a favorite stop." Ellen smiled.

"Columbus." Kurt laughed. "We're both from Ohio, so around New Year's we were in Columbus and as a belated Christmas present, my parents came up with a bunch of show choir friends from high school, and Blaine had some friends come up, and they came and saw the show and took us out to dinner."

"Yeah, I think we have those photos. Can we pull up the photos?" Ellen asked.

The group photo popped up, making Kurt and Blaine smile.

"We went to a Denny's, which is just an all day all night breakfast place, but they have a little more than breakfast. Anyway, we went there as a party of like seventeen, and took up one of their whole areas. It was really fun." Kurt said.

"A lot of singing and pictures." Blaine nodded.

It jumped to a photo of Blaine and the Dalton boys, and then Kurt and his dad.

"That's my dad." Kurt beamed.

"Did he enjoy the show?" Ellen asked

"He was very proud of me. And he pointedly never specified which parts he enjoyed." Kurt laughed. "So yeah, I think, despite the general awkwardness of your parents coming to a show where you get mostly naked and make out with another boy, everyone had a really nice time."

The audience laughed.

"Did your family make it up, Blaine?" Ellen asked.

"They did, the next day, yeah. My mom, and dad, and brother all came down. It was really nice of them." Blaine nodded.

The group photo Kurt had taken of Blaine with his mom and brother popped up.

"That's great, that they've been so supportive." Ellen said.

"It has." Kurt nodded.

"Has it been hard, being on tour, not having a lot of time to visit and do every day things?" Ellen asked.

"The tour has been fun. We get to see cities we might not have otherwise thought to visit, just because we're not huge travel people." Blaine said.

"But at the same time, we've tried to have mini-adventures every time we go somewhere new. And we hang out with the cast, and all that kind of stuff. If we get homesick, almost everyone we know is a call or a Skype call away." Kurt said.

"And being on tour with this guy is nothing to shake a stick at." Blaine grinned, glancing at Kurt.

The audience laughed, awing.

"I've trained him well." Kurt winked, laughing. "No, having Blaine on the tour has probably been one of the best. I think it's great that we've gone on and done all of this together."

"Is he a good kisser?" Ellen asked, grinning.

"Is he?" Kurt said, pretending to fan himself.

Blaine laughed, blushing.

"The first time Max came to us about a more...intimate scene, he was like, Kurt, I want you to rip Blaine's shirt off him. Is that okay?" Kurt said. "And I was like, what's not okay with that sentence? Yes, of course I'm fine with that."

The audience laughed.

"Honestly, you could come just to see his body, and leave completely satisfied. I encourage you to enjoy more than that, but you know, if it comes down to needing at least one detail to convince you." Kurt shrugged. "Those barely there abs are pretty persuasive."

"He's trying to embarrass me." Blaine laughed.

"Is he succeeding?" Ellen asked.

"I deserve it though. I did bring out the burlesque card at the Fallon interview, so I think I'm due this. I'll take it." Blaine smiled.

"Have a lot of people asked about your relationship? Like if you're dating offstage as well as onstage?" Ellen asked.

"Surprisingly, not many people have asked." Kurt said.

"That's cause Kurt's just so out of my league." Blaine grinned.

"It's true, but that's besides the point." Kurt said, making Blaine laugh. "No, if anything, I'm the lucky one."

"So are you dating?" Ellen asked.

"Yeah." Kurt smiled.

"I finally wised up and asked him out." Blaine grinned.

"After how long?" Kurt asked.

"Mm a year and a half?" Blaine guessed.

"Yeah, we knew each other for years, both crushing on each other, and it takes until we've been making out for six months for him to ask me out." Kurt teased. "But no, it was pretty perfect, and our whole family and friends have been very supportive of it."

The audience clapped, Kurt and Blaine nodded gratefully.

"That's sweet." Ellen smiled.

"Yeah, we wanted to kind of keep it private at first because we weren't sure how to announce it without it seeming like some kind of weird publicity stunt." Kurt said.

"Right." Ellen said.

"We do joke though, when we're with friends. It's like, yeah, you'd fall for those lips too." Blaine said.

"Well, I wouldn't, but I understand." Ellen said.

They burst into laughter, the audience clapping.

"I fell for the blazer, and two step dance moves." Kurt teased. "You should see a photo of him from high school, it's great. The boy had more hair gel than I have pairs of boots."

"I think we did some digging actually and found a few photos." Ellen said.

A picture of the Warblers in full uniform popped up, smiling charmingly, in perfect poses.

"That's him, in the front middle, with the hair parted at the side." Kurt said.

They zoomed on where Kurt pointed out, the audience awing at his dapper appearance.

"How can you not be charmed into liking that?" Kurt grinned.

"We also found another." Ellen said.

A picture from Kurt's junior year popped up. It was his yearbook photo. His hair was styled down, and he wore a hat, with matching high collar jacket. He had a very serious look on his face, eye brow raised slightly. Kurt burst out laughing.

"I look like a child model for a German coat advertisement." Kurt said.

"That was junior year, wasn't it?" Blaine asked.

"Ten points to Blaine." Kurt nodded. "That is right before my last growth spurt, when my body finally decided it was going to be proportionate to some degree."

"I like your proportions." Blaine said, smiling when the audience laughed and cheered.

Kurt laughed, caught off guard.

"Dirty minds." Blaine said, looking at the audience, who giggled.

"There was also a really beautiful photo shoot released of the two of you." Ellen said.

"Yes." Kurt nodded as the photos popped up. "Reggie Valentine, who is a fantastic photographer, and a really fun person to work with, did those towards the very beginning. He's taken photos of the show for post-production reasons, and he's just a joy to work with every time."

"They've been made into some very beautiful edits, that fans have made, have you seen many of them?" Ellen asked.

"A few. It's been really interesting seeing an actual fan base grow from this. I would have never guessed it almost a year ago that today we'd have this kind of support and following." Kurt said.

"I will admit to this." Blaine said. "I have a Tumblr. I see your posts."

"You have a Tumblr?" Ellen asked.

"I've had one since my freshman year of high school, and I've kept it up over the years, so when the Who We Love stuff started like getting popular, I started following a bunch of blogs about it, and tracked the tags and stuff. It's just really fun to see people's reactions to Carter and Marc, and how they relate to different elements in the play, and to the characters. It's like my guilty pleasure." Blaine chuckled.

"There have been some interesting artist renditions of different scenes. Some of them reimagined in an X-rated fashion." Kurt smiled.

"I remember the first time I found one, I was like, 'Kurt you gotta see this.' and he's like, 'I never did that!'" Blaine said.

The audience laughed.

"What can I say? We have creative fans." Kurt laughed.

"We actually got a letter from one of your fans when she heard that you were coming to Los Angeles. She said she wanted nothing more than to meet you, and go to the show, but she couldn't afford the tickets for her to go. So we planned a little surprise for her, we invited her to come on the show and make a little heartfelt video to you guys asking to have the chance to go to your show, but it's not really that because you're already here, and Max has agreed to help out with this." Ellen said.

"That's really cool." Blaine said.

"We'd love to help." Kurt said.

"Great. Her name is Abby, she's fifteen, and she's going to come out. If you guys don't mind hiding, and then quietly sneaking up." Ellen said.

"Yeah, totally." Blaine nodded.

"Okay, can we hide them now?" Ellen asked.

Andy came over, escorting them to the large moving wall, they disappeared with a wave.

"Okay, and can we get Abby out now?" Ellen asked.

"Alright, everybody, please welcome a special guest of mine, Abby Reed." Ellen said.

The audience clapped, and Abby came out, smiling and waving. She went over, hugging Ellen before sitting down.

"Hi, Abby." Ellen said.

"Hi, Ellen." Abby smiled.

"Are you excited to be here?" Ellen asked.

"Yeah. I really appreciate you helping me. I just really love plays, and this one is so great, and all of my friends had the chance to see Who We Love in Sacramento, but I couldn't afford to go, so I'm hoping I can see them while they're still in California." Abby said.

"No problem. These are the kind of fun things I like to do." Ellen said. "Are you big fans of the actors in the show?"

"Totally." Abby said. "They're really cool, and amazing. I've seen clips of the show and the photos that were released."

"Did you get to see the two lead actors on Jimmy Fallon?" Ellen asked.

"Yeah, it was really great. They're awesome." Abby said.

Blaine and Kurt snuck out from behind the wall, creeping slowly across the space.

"It would be so cool if they saw this and decided to help you out." Ellen said.

"It would be the most amazing thing." Abby said

"Do you think coming on my show will gain their attention?" Ellen asked.

"I really hope so." Abby laughed.

"I know so." Kurt said from behind the couch.

Abby jumped, turning to see who it was. Scared turned to surprised as she clamped her hands over her mouth, eyes widening.

"Hi, Abby. Can we sit with you?" Blaine asked.

Abby nodded, and the boys came around, sitting on either side of her.

"It's really you guys." Abby said.

"It's really us." Blaine smiled.

"Oh my god." Abby looked between the two. "Hi."

"Hi." the chorused.

"Hey Kurt, Hey Blaine." Ellen grinned.

"Hey, Ellen." Blaine smiled. "I hope you don't mind us dropping in."

"Not at all. I was kind of hoping you could help my friend Abby here, she's a huge Who We Love fan." Ellen said.

"We'd love to. What is that you need help with?" Kurt asked.

"I want to go see your show." Abby said.

"Really? Cause we'd love for you to come." Blaine said. "Kurt, is there anyway we could help her?"

"We could give her these four tickets to the show." Kurt said, pulling out four tickets from his pocket.

Abby looked ready to burst into tears.

"There's got to be more than that." Blaine said. "I mean, she came all the way onto Ellen."

"You're right." Kurt said. "We could invite her to hang out with the cast, and get photos and get a backstage tour."

Abby's eyes widened. She looked at Ellen, as if to reassure her it was real. The audience laughed softly as Ellen tried her best to keep composed.

"But what else?" Blaine asked.

"We could give her a shout out on Twitter, and offer to record a voice mail on her phone." Kurt offered.

"I don't know, Abby, does that sound like enough?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah." Abby nodded, the audience laughing.

"Well, if that's the least we can do, Kurt, we should do that." Blaine said.

Kurt smiled, handing her the tickets. Abby smiled, looking ready to cry again.

"Now it's time for a very serious question, Abby." Kurt said, gaining her attention. "Who...is...your...favorite character?"

"Lydia Ramona." Abby admitted.

"Aw, that'll melt Chelsea's heart. She's gonna wanna keep you." Blaine laughed.

Kurt pulled out his phone.

"Twitter selfie time." Kurt said, leaning close to Abby as Blaine did the same from the other side.

They all smiled, Ellen jumping in at the background. Kurt tweeted it, tagging Abby's twitter at the end of the shout out. Blaine took a selfie with the three of them, tweeting it to his own account. Abby was grinning happily.

"So, Abby, who are you going to take to the show?" Ellen asked.

"Um, my mom. And my two best friends who haven't gotten to see the show yet, but I know they've been trying to." Abby said.

"What are your two friends names?" Ellen asked.

"John and Katie, they're siblings." Abby said.

"What if we called them and told them?" Blaine asked.

"What if Marc and Carter called them and told them?" Ellen suggested.

"I like it." Blaine smiled, Kurt grinning.

"That would be so cool." Abby pulled out her phone, typing in a number and putting it on speaker phone.

"Hello?"A girl's voice came on the phone.

"Is this Katie?" Blaine asked, using his Marc voice.

"Yeah, who is this? This is Abby's number." Katie said.

"My name is Marc, and I'm here with Abby, and someone else." Blaine said.

"Hi Katie, it's Carter from Who We Love." Kurt said.

"Oh my god." Katie squealed. "Hi."

"We just wanted to call and ask on behalf of the cast, and Abby, if you and John will come with her to see our show." Blaine said.

"Oh my god. Really? Are you serious right now?" Katie asked.

"Totally." Kurt said.

"It's really real, Katie." Abby said. "I've got four tickets to the show. I'm on Ellen right now!"

"OH MY GOD JOHNATHON. JOHN. ABBY'S ON ELLEN AND SHE'S GOT TICKETS TO WHO WE LOVE." Katie yelled, making the audience laugh. "She wants us to go with her. To the show. Yeah. John says yeah, we can go."

"That's awesome." Blaine said. "We can't wait for you to come see it."

"This is so cool." Katie said.

"We've got to go, but we'll see you at the show, okay?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, okay. Totally. Bye." Katie said.

"Bye." Kurt and Blaine chorused as Abby hung up.

The audience applauded.

"That was fun." Blaine laughed.

"Katie is a huge fan of Carter." Abby said.

Kurt smiled, flushing happily.

"And John has a crush on Marc." Abby said, making the audience laugh.

"Oh, well. I'm getting flustered." Blaine said, adjusting his bow tie. "I wasn't ready for that."

"Don't break his heart, Marc." Kurt teased.

"No pressure." Blaine laughed.

"We're going to take a commercial break, when we get back we'll play a game with Blaine and Kurt. Don't go anywhere." Ellen said into the camera, the audience cheering.

"You were so sweet. I really hope you enjoy the show." Kurt smiled.

"You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for this. It's so great." Abby gushed.

"We try." Blaine smiled.

"Okay, Abby, we're going to take you backstage and let you talk to your mom about the finer details." Ellen said.

"Okay, bye everybody." Abby said, standing.

"Bye, Abby." Blaine and Kurt waved.

Once she left Blaine scooted closer, throwing an arm across the back of the couch, behind Kurt.

"I can't believe it. We let a woman come in between us." Kurt joked, making the audience laugh.

"It's fine, we're still good, right?" Blaine asked, smirking.

"Yeah. We're still good." Kurt smiled happily, snuggling close.

The crowd awed. Kurt and Blaine laughed, glancing at each other.

"Okay, we're going to do some set up while we're on commercial break. We're going to be playing the Cast-wed game. To test and see how well you know each other." Ellen said.

"Sounds good." Blaine nodded.

"Do you think you'll

"And we're back with Blaine Anderson, and Kurt Hummel, from Who We Love. And we've invited them to play our Cast-Wed game, to see how well you know each other. We're basically going to ask you questions and the other person has to be honest and tell us if they were wrong or right." Ellen said. "Blaine."

"Yes." He smiled.

"What is Kurt's go-to audition song?" Ellen asked.

"Mr. Cellophane." Blaine said automatically, Kurt nodding.

"Do you know Blaine's?" Ellen asked.

"Teenage Dream." Kurt said.

"It's true." Blaine laughed. "That's the song I used to get into the Warblers."

"What is Kurt's biggest superstition?" Ellen asked.

"He's got this preshow ritual that he does with warm tea and ice cubes." Blaine said. "And the one time he didn't do it, in St. Paul, he was so worried that something was going to go wrong with his voice."

Kurt looked embarrassed but nodded.

"Does Blaine have any superstitions?" Ellen asked.

"He holds his breath if we drive by graveyards, because as a kid his brother convinced him ghosts would possess him out of jealousy if he breathed around their burial grounds." Kurt smiled endearingly.

"Now, it more of a habit." Blaine said.

"But you still kind of believe it." Kurt said.

"I don't want to risk it." Blaine shrugged.

Kurt smiled, looking at Blaine.

"Blaine do you know who Kurt's first kiss was with?" Ellen asked.

"Yes." Blaine's voice grew soft, looking at Kurt who shrugged, looking down. "We actually saw him again during the tour. He's changed a lot, and grown into a better person. And we wish him the best of luck in life."

"Kurt, do you know Blaine's first kiss?" Ellen asked, trying to push ahead.

"Yes." Kurt giggled. "It was with a school friend of his, but he was super delirious from a fever, and it kind of happened by accident."

"His girlfriend eventually forgave me." Blaine laughed. "When she saw how out of it I was."

"Is there anything you want to test each other on?" Ellen asked.

"Hmm. What's my favorite movie?" Kurt asked.

"Moulin Rouge." Blaine smiled.

"Yours is 50 First Dates." Kurt said, Blaine nodding.

"What's my favorite road trip song?" Blaine asked.

"1985 by Bowling For Soup." Kurt grinned.

"Yours is a tie between More Than Words by Extreme, and Perfect by Pink." Blaine said.

"Do you know everything about each other?" Ellen asked.

"Are you allergic to anything?" Kurt asked.

"Sunflower seeds." Blaine said. "It's a sad, trail mix-less life for me."

"I can't use most men's colognes because I'm allergic to one of the common ingredients." Kurt offered.

"Weird." Blaine said.

"Yeah." Kurt said.

"You guys are too much." Ellen smiled, making them laugh.

"Does that mean we win?" Blaine asked. "Do I know you, Kurt?"

"You'll pass in a pinch." Kurt grinned.

"It's almost time for another commercial break. You can see both Kurt and Blaine in the show Who We Love, for the next couple of weeks, they'll be going to San Diego, and then back east to Washington D.C. Keep an eye out for these two, folks. They're just getting started." Ellen said into the camera. "We'll be right back with my next guest who's movie just reached fourth internationally in box office sales. Stick around."

Blaine and Kurt waved into the camera. Andy gave the thumbs up, they were back on break.

"I'm sorry for touching on the first kiss thing." Ellen said.

"It's okay. You didn't know." Kurt said.

"I wish you the best of luck on the rest of your tour. Keep it up and you'll have a Tony before you know it." Ellen smiled.

"Thank you." Kurt smiled.

Abby was entertaining to show around the theatre, introducing her to all the cast members. Chelsea took her under her wing as soon as Blaine whispered that she was her favorite. John and Katie showed up just before the show. Kurt came out in full female Carter costume, Katie's eyes lighting up.

"Katie?" Kurt asked.

Katie gave a small nod. Kurt gave a small laugh, giving her a hug.

"I'm so glad you made it." He smiled.

Blaine came out dressed in his first costume, smiling charmingly as he saw Katie and John.

"Hi." Blaine said, holding out his hand. "My name is Marc."

"John." John said, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you." Blaine said.

John gave a short nod.

"Marc, Carter." Chelsea came around the corner. "Final checks."

"See you." Kurt gave a small wave, walking away with Blaine.

San Diego saw the end of the California journey with open arms, being one of the most fun stops Kurt had had. After San Diego they shot eastward, to Washington D.C. The weather was starting to turn nice, but Kurt still regretted needing a thick jacket on the outings after the sun went down. Max gave them the news that they were offered a three week extended run back in New York City. The cast agreed to do it. As long as they were back in New York, none of them minded.

As fun as touring was, Kurt breathed a breath of relief when he and Blaine stepped into their apartment. Rachel, who had the day off, greeted them warmly, hugging them tightly. Santana smiled from the couch, welcoming them with a wave and snark. Yeah, it was good to be back.

That night he Skyped with his dad, Blaine sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Hey bud, back in NYC?" Burt asked.

"Yeah, we got in earlier today." Kurt nodded.

"You look exhausted." Burt said with a smile.

"Five months is a long time to be on the road." Kurt said.

"Yeah, it is." Burt nodded. "But it was worth it, right?"

"For sure." Kurt smiled.

"How's Blaine?" Burt asked.

"Good. Just as exhausted as I am. He's reading." Kurt turned his laptop to show Blaine who waved.

"You said your show got extended?" Burt asked.

Kurt turned the laptop back, nodding.

"We're doing another three weeks here in New York City." He said.

"And you're okay with that?" Burt asked.

"I'm getting paid to kiss my boyfriend." Kurt joked, making Blaine chuckle. "Yeah, we had a cast meeting about it, and everyone's for it."

"Don't work yourself too hard, okay?" Burt asked.

"I promise." Kurt smiled.

Kurt sat in the chair, adjusting his costume as Mia touched up his face. He was in one of his boy costumes, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"Don't be nervous." Mia smiled. "You'll do great."

"Thanks." Kurt smiled.

"Marc and Carter in three." A stage hand said.

"Ready?" Blaine asked, walking over.

"Yeah." Kurt said, standing up.

Blaine smiled, holding out his hand. Kurt smiled, taking it gratefully. They walked over to their places, waiting for their cue.

"We're really at the Tony Awards." Kurt breathed.

"Really, really." Blaine grinned.

"Helping bring out our next performers, from Who We Love, Marc and Carter." Neil announced.

The crowd clapped and cheered as they walked out hand in hand. They smiled, watching as they quieted down.

"In the Cap and Rose theatre our story is one of falling in love, and learning to be brave enough to accept that beauty is more than skin deep. And that we might be different, but that also means special, and there's no telling what we can do when we're strong enough to accept that." Kurt said.

"Just eight blocks away on the beautiful Broadway stage is another story similar to ours. It's the story of a sorority queen who finds in herself more than skin deep beauty, and finds herself among true love, and people willing to help her change the world one court case at a time. Please help us give a warm welcome to the cast of Legally Blonde." Blaine said.

Kurt sat in his chair, smiling at Blaine. They were really here. Around him were his cast mates, and Max. It felt as surreal as it did right. He looked back to the stage, watching Neil host.

"Okay, so I've done something every year that I've hosted, in my efforts to bring together fans who like musicals and fans who like plays. I call them playsicals. And I've got a few good ones this year. Stay with me." Neil pulled out cards. "You love them, I know it. Alright here we go. Rocky: A Chorus Line."

The audience laughed.

"Guys and Dolls and Casa Valentina." Neil said. "Rent: A Fable."

The audience cheered.

"And my favorite, The Sound of Who We Love." Neil said.

The cast of Who We Love cheered loudly, Max looking thoughtful when then camera jumped to him. The audience laughed, and Neil put his note cards away.

"Just a few suggestions. You never know Max Oswald, a few tweaks it could work. How do you solve a problem like Carter?" Neil suggested.

Kurt laughed, Blaine nudging him.

"Call me. We'll talk it over." Neil said, Max giving him a thumbs up.

The crowd cheered as Kristen Bell and Holly Holiday came out, waving and smiling.

"Tonight we're honored to be up here to give the Tony for the Best Performance from a Leading Actor in a Play. We have five fantastic actors who left their heart, and sometimes their clothes, on the stage every single performance." Kristen said.

"For some, it's their first nomination. For others, it's a welcomed return." Holly said. "And the nominees are."

"David Pine, for Check Please." Kristen said, pausing to let the crowd applause.

"Ross Ward, for Stage Kiss." Holly said.

"Blaine Anderson, for Who We Love." Kristen said.

"Kurt Hummel, for Who We Love." Holly said.

"Johnathon Toll, for Hard Candy." Kristen said.

"And the Tony goes to." Holly opened the card, smiling. "Kurt Hummel, for Who We Love."

There was a standing ovation as Kurt stood up, looking shocked as Blaine guided him up and nudged him to go on the stage. Kurt made it with slightly trembling hands and accepted the award, turning to the microphone.

"Oh wow. Um." Kurt cleared his throat. "When I told my cast and friends that I was nominated, naturally the first question they ask was, 'Was it for lead actor or actress?'" He paused, smiling at the laughter. "To which I said actor, of course. After all, Jane Pickett deserves a fighting chance on her nomination."

The audience laughed, Jane blowing him a kiss.

"A lovely man once told me my ability to look flawless as man and woman was due to beauty being universal. And while I'm flattered, my transformation as Carter Lawrence was only really possible thanks to magicians with make up like Mia Newman. I owe her, my cast, my crew, my director my undying love and devotion for all that they've done. Max Oswald, you beautiful man, thank you so much for trusting me with Carter. Thank you to the Tony voters and everyone who made this award possible. Blaine Anderson, my Marc, my rock, I love you more than words can possibly say. I can't wait to age gracefully beside you. I want to dedicate this award to my dad, for being the best pillar of strength a gay boy in middle of nowhere Ohio can ask for. If I'm strong enough to stand here and believe I'm beautiful and worth being loved it's because you raised me to be. I love you so much. I love my entire Ohio family, blood or not, you helped get me here, and I won't forget it. Thank you so much."

The audience cheered.

"Hey Kurt." Neil jogged over.

"Hey, Neil." Kurt laughed, looking a little confused.

"No, hey, I just wanted to congratulate you on an awesome win." Neil held out his hand.

Kurt laughed, accepting his hand. Neil pulled him forward, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. The audience laughed, cheering and whistling. Kurt looked shocked but smiled, shaking his head. They laughed and went separate ways, Kurt disappearing backstage.

"Wow. Um." Neil went back to the center stage, adjusting his tie. "Is he looking at me? Is Blaine looking? Does he look angry?"

The audience laughed as the camera turned to Blaine who laughed, shaking his head.

"No? Oh, good." Neil said. "There's no way I can outrun him."

Who We Love left the Tony's with five awards. Kurt for Best Leading Actor. Jane for Best Leading Actress. Max for Best Director of a Play. Chandler for Best Supporting Actor. And a Tony for Best Break Out Play. They posed for pictures, and stayed for part of the after party, happy to see their hard work paid off.

Kurt and Blaine went off after a while, stopping at a small dinner to celebrate quietly with just the two of them. They ordered coffee and a double order of nachos, grinning like school children as they ate.

"Did you all get to watch the Tony Awards last night?" Jimmy asked, the audience cheering. "It was a fantastic year for a lot of really great actors. Neil Patrick Harris hosted again, and he's always fun to watch. The performances were great, the speeches were great, and to help us talk about them are two actors who had their interview debuts right here on the Tonight show, please welcome back Tony award winning actor, Kurt Hummel, and Tony Award nominee actor, Blaine Anderson."

The audience stood and cheered as they came out, waving. Kurt was wearing white skinny jeans an a black and white striped shirt. Blaine came out in black jeans and a grey button down. Jimmy stood and shook their hands as they came up and sat down.

"Welcome back guys, it's been a while." Jimmy said.

"Yeah, we've been kind of busy." Blaine smirked.

"It's great to be back though." Kurt said.

"We're happy to have you guys, always." Jimmy said. "And last night was the Tony Awards."

They both nodded.

"Who We Love did great. I think you all won several awards." Jimmy said.

"Five, in total." Kurt nodded.

"That's got to feel awesome." Jimmy said.

"It does." Kurt agreed.

"We were so happy that the show was successful, but to see it recognized like this was great. And Jane and Kurt and Chandler, who all were awarded, they deserved it so much." Blaine said. "Max got best director, which was fantastic."

"He was so humble about it all." Kurt said.

"I really enjoyed your speech, Kurt, it was very funny and moving. Congratulations." Jimmy said.

"Thank you." Kurt smiled.

"And Blaine, you looked so proud watching him up there." Jimmy said.

"I was. I am very happy for him. He did a knock out job with Carter, and I'm just so honored to have been there with him as Marc. And to be nominated at eighteen, is crazy. So I think, overall, I was just happy to witness it all." Blaine said.

"And Jane Pickett was fantastic." Jimmy said.

"Jane Pickett is one of those women who you meet, and you think you've never met someone like her, and then you get to know her, and you'll never want to." Kurt laughed. "She's so spot on, and dangerously funny. She really became like a weird aunt, and mom figure to the whole cast."

"Working with her was unforgettable." Blaine nodded.

"I learned more drinking games from her than I did being around actors my age in college." Kurt said.

The audience laughed.

"I think the West twins still owe her poker money." Blaine said.

"So who's the best at the drinking games?" Jimmy asked.

"Louise." they said in unison.

"She's like five feet two inches of steel." Kurt said.

"Really? Because of her stature you would think she was a lightweight." Jimmy said.

"Exactly. That's what made it so impressive." Blaine said.

"I also learned that Louise Brennan is a dirty poker player." Kurt said. "She and Chelsea are a dangerous duo when it comes to strip poker."

Blaine laughed, nodding at a memory.

"You played strip poker?" Jimmy asked.

"Once." Kurt said, making a face.

The audience laughed.

"What happened?" Jimmy asked.

"We were still in costume." Blaine said.

"And when your costume is a sundress and camisole, you are a very easy target." Kurt said. "If you lost three hands, that's it, you're naked as the day you were born."

"Yeah, because shoes didn't count." Blaine said. "Max took pity on you though."

"He gave me a hand cloth, like those little five by five inch cloths. I felt like suburban Tarzan." Kurt said, making the audience laugh and whistle.

"That's hysterical." Jimmy laughed.

"As if I don't strip down enough, right?" Kurt joked.

"I don't mind." Blaine smirked, earning whistles.

"I've become a terrible influence on him." Kurt laughed.

"So, I'm told you have an announcement to make." Jimmy said.

"Yes." Kurt smiled.

The crowd cheered.

"Not that kind of announcement, settle down." Blaine teased.

"The cast of Who We Love has been invited to be an off-season tour of Europe." Kurt said.

"Wow, that's amazing." Jimmy said, the audience clapping.

"Yeah, it's seven shows, in seven cities, in seven weeks." Blaine said.

"No matinees?" Jimmy teased.

"No, we're actually doing things a little differently in this tour. We'll have time after the show to hang out with the audience, and get asked questions and that kind of stuff." Blaine said.

"That'll be great. Do you know when the tour dates are?" Jimmy asked.

"We will open our first show in Stockholm, on the twenty first of June." Kurt said. "And then we'll spend a week, and move to Paris."

"And then Madrid, Dublin, and London." Blaine added.

"After that we go to Berlin, and then wrap up in Amsterdam." Kurt said. "We'll pack up August eighth, and be back in New York just before college starts back up."

"Are you both going to college then?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm going back yeah. I was on excused leave for the show last year, and it counted as some credit." Kurt said.

"I auditioned shortly after we got back from tour, and just a week ago, I found out I'd been accepted into NYADA." Blaine said.

The audience clapped. Blaine smiled gratefully and nodded.

"And it doesn't feel a little redundant going to school or back to school after having such a successful show?" Jimmy asked.

"I think if it were a normal university, then maybe." Kurt said honestly. "But, because it is an academy designed to help you be a better actor, a better singer, a better dancer, there's no reason not to go back. This lifestyle is an art as long as you're willing to work for it, and keep yourself working. If I let this one show go to my head and say, oh I have a Tony now, what else do I need? I'm capping myself. I might as well put myself on a shelf alongside my award."

The audience applauded his words.

"Kurt's right, it's a constantly changing world in theatre, and you're never finished until you let yourself finish. He made the joke when our show first started that no fame is enough fame, and I think it's got a degree of truth to it. You don't do this job for enough fame, or enough money. You do it because you love it, and you like learning what you can do. And places like NYADA understand that and no matter what scale of success you earn in the eyes of the world, there's always something to learn. There's always some mold that needs to be broken, or rules that need to be written, or even rewritten." Blaine said.

"That's a fantastic approach to take on acting and theatre." Jimmy said. "That's a lot of why Saturday Night Live was started. It was different, it challenged you. You learned, and you grew, and as a result both the actors and the show became very iconic pieces of acting."

"I think that's why we're both excited to be so young during a time when plays like Who We Love are coming out. These challenges, and mold breaking moments that we get to push along. I hope to be witnessing it for years to come." Kurt said.

"We hope to be witnessing both of you for years to come. It's always fantastic having you on the show. I really mean that. Good luck with your off-season tour. Or break a leg, I should say. You've both been great. Blaine Anderson, and Kurt Hummel everybody." Jimmy said.

The audience cheered, whistling as they waved into the camera.

"I almost forgot what college looked like." Kurt joked, relaxing into the lounge seats, sipping his coffee.

"It's nice here." Blaine said. "I could get used to it."

Kurt smiled, nodding. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, answering it when Max's name popped up.

"Hi, Max." Kurt said.

"Hey, Kurt. Glad I caught you. Is Blaine around?" Max asked.

"You're in luck. What can we do for you?" Kurt asked.

"So I've got a friend named Lydia Martin." Max said. "And she's got a show she wants me to direct."

"Congrats." Kurt said.

"I want you and Blaine in on this." Max said.

"Why kind of show is it?" Kurt asked.

"It's a musical." Max said.

"A musical." Kurt glanced at Blaine who looked interested. "Called?"

"Kinky Boots."


End file.
